How to hold a guitar pick
- Curl your strumming hand loosely, as if you were about to knock on a door.
- Lay the pick on the side of the first joint of your index finger, pointing away from your palm.
- Press it there with the pad of your thumb. Only 2 to 3 millimetres of the tip should show.
- Grip firmly enough that the pick does not spin, and loosely enough that your wrist stays relaxed.
For strumming, a thin or medium pick is easier. For single notes and solos, a thicker pick gives more control.
How to read strumming patterns
D is a downstrum (towards the floor) and U an upstrum. Patterns are counted in eighth notes: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. A dot means your hand still moves but misses the strings. Keep the hand moving down on the numbers and up on every "&"; that constant motion is the secret of steady rhythm.
| Count | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strum | D | · | D | · | D | · | D | · |
| Count | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strum | D | U | D | U | D | U | D | U |
| Count | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strum | D | · | D | U | · | U | D | U |
| Count | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strum | · | U | · | U | · | U | · | U |
Tips for steady strumming
- Strum from the wrist, not the elbow.
- Practise with a metronome at a slow tempo, such as 60 to 70 beats per minute.
- Accent beats 2 and 4 slightly for a groove that makes songs feel alive.
- Change chord on the last "&" of the bar, a little early, so the next chord lands on beat 1.
Use these patterns with the 8 beginner chords. For Hindi songs, see Bollywood guitar lessons.
Free PDF
Strumming Patterns Sheet
Four essential strumming patterns with counts, plus blank grids to write your own.